Mattress support assembly

ABSTRACT

A pair of side rails and a pair of end rails and four corner posts, are assembled into a frame. The side rails are rabbeted at their upper inner edges and receive a plurality of parallel straight transverse slats, and a pair of diagonal slats, with a center rail supported by and helping space the slats at the center and having its ends received in slots in the end rails. The whole assembly is nailed, spiked or stapled together. Springs are secured to the slats, tied to a wire grid at their tops, covered with padding and enclosed with a fabric hood.

1 MATTRESS SUPPORT ASSEMBLY [75] lnventor: Robert A. McCormick,Indianapolis,

1 Ind.

[73] Assignee: McCormick Lumber Company, Inc., Indianapolis, Ind.

22 Filed: July 26,1973 211 Appl. No.: 382,827

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 230,734,March 1, 1972,

abandoned.

[52] US. Cl. 5/200 R, 5/200 C, 5/239, 5/264 B [51] llnt. Cl. A47c 19/00,

[58] Field of Search 5/131, 200 R, 200 C, 248, 5/239-245, 264 B, 264 R,279 R, 282 R [56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,579,1343/1926 Nusbaum 287/2092 D X 3,080,576 3/1963 Cervasi ..5/264R 3,621,49711/1971 Fitzgerald 5/131 Primary Examiner-James C. Mitchell Attorney,Agent, or Firm-Woodard, Weikart, Emhardt & Naughton 5 7 ABSTRACT A pairof side rails and a pair of end rails and four corner posts, areassembled into a fframe. The side rails are rabbeted at their upperinner edges and receive a plurality of parallel straight transverseslats, and a pair of diagonal slats, with a center rail supported by andhelping space the slats at the center and having its ends received inslots in the end rails. The whole assembly is nailed, spiked or stapledtogether. Springs are secured to the slats, tied to a wire grid at theirtops, covered with padding and enclosed with a fabric hood.

13 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PAIENIHJ 001221914 sum 1 or 5 hil MATTRESSSUPPORT ASSEMBLY CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS Thisapplication is a continuation of my copending application Ser. No.230,734, filed Mar. l, 1972 now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This inventionrelates generally to bedding and fumiture, and more particularly toboxspring assemblies to support mattresses and the like.

2. Description of the Prior Art Typically boxspring frames are made ofwood,-as it is a comparatively light, inexpensive material easy tohandle and sufficiently strong for the intended purpose. The typicalassembly is a built-up structure using two or more longitudinallyextending members at each side of the frame, and two or more elongatedmembers at each end of the frame, with spacer and filler blocks andfiller strips therebetween at appropriate places. Springs are mounted onthe frame and covered with padding and a hood.

Several problems with this typical prior art construction include thenecessity of handling a considerable number of pieces, a multitude offastening steps and points, rounding corners by the use of a band saw,all of which tend to increase cost and limit productability of labor. Itis an objective of the present invention to overcome most or all ofthese typical shortcomings of typical prior art procedures andstructures.

Described briefly, in a typical embodiment of the present invention, aboxspring assembly is made of a set of pre-cut pieces comparatively fewin number, including pre-cut corner posts, side and end rails, slats andcenter rails. The shape of the comer posts and the cross section of theside rails minimizes assembly steps and avoids the necessity of cornertrimming after assembly. Springs or foam can be placed on the frame,suitably padded (in the case of springs) and covered with a hood.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. l is a top plan view of aboxspring frame according to a typical embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view thereof.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section therethrough taken at line 33in FIG. I and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section there- 7 through taken at line44 in FIG. I and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of an alternate embodiment but with the centerbroken away to conserve drawing space, and with a portion of the endslat broken away in the upper right hand corner.

FIG. 6 is a partially exploded end elevation, similar to FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken at line 77 in FIG. 5 butomitting theend slat.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the FIG. 5 embodiment with springs installedthereon.

FIG. 9 is a cross section through a complete boxspring assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings indetail, the boxspring frame includes a pair of side rails 11 having arabbeted inner edge 12 as best shown in FIG. 4. It also has a pair ofend rails 13. While the side rails are elongated and rabbeted as shown,the end rails are elongated but not rabbeted and have a typicalrectangular cross section. However they are vertically slotted on theirinner face as shown at I4 to receive the ends of an intermediate rail 16which, in the illustrated embodiment, is a center rail.

A corner block such as block 17 is provided at each corner and, as bestshown by reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, each block extends the fullheight of the frame, has two grooves 18 and 19 therein, and asemicylindrical surface 21 between the proximate edges of the grooves.It will readily be recognized that these corner blocks can be made of aboard of rectangular or square cross section (as suggested by the dottedline 20 in FIG. 1) first rabbeted, then rounded and then cross cut tothe desired dimension between the upper and lower ends 22 thereof.

A plurality of straight transverse slats 23 is provided, the oppositeends of these slats being received in the rabbeted grooves 12 in theside rail as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. Similarly, diagonal slats 24 areprovided adjacent the opposite ends. The slats are secured to the railsby T-nails, nails, or staples, as indicated at 25 and are likewisefastened to the center rail 16 at 26. The center rail is fastened to theend rail in the same manner as indicated at 27 in FIG. 2, and the endrails and side rails are fastened to the corner posts in the same manneras indicated at 28 and 29, respectively, in FIG. 1.

The material is preferably sound mixed native hardwoods or driedsoftwoods except, of course, for the fasteners mentioned above. Thenumber of slats is typically from four to nine depending upon the sizeof the frame, and the number of center support rails is one to three,depending upon the size of the frame. Typical frame sizes are to inchlength, and 48 to 65 inch width, and approximately two and /2 to 7 inchheight.

For speed of assembly, it is preferable that fasteners such as describedabove, be employed. However it is possible that on dried softwood,various adhesives might be used. In that event, the time factor can belargely overcome by using a metal fastener in addition to the glue oradhesive with the fastener serving to hold the assembly together untilthe glue or other adhesive reaches the necessary strength.

Referring now to FIG. 5, parts which may be identical to those in thepreviously described embodiment are given the same reference numerals.However, as can best be seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, the corner blocks 31 donot extend the full height of the side or end rails. Instead, they areshortened, with the upper face 32 thereof being virtually flush with theupper face 33 of the rabbeted inner edge 12 of the side rails 11. Thismakes possible the employment of end slats 34 coplanar with the slats 23and 24 and resting upon the upper faces 32 of the corner blocks. Theymay be nailed, stapled, glued or otherwise secured to the corner blocksand center rail. If desired, all slats may be of the same length,including not only the slats 23 and the end slats 34, but also thediagonal slats 24 and 26 which, although on a slight diagonal, are longenough to extend over a portion of the rabbeted edge I2 of the siderails 11.

The end slats provide a firm and reliable support for the end rows ofcoil springs 36 as best shown in FIG. 8. Springs 36 are typicallysecured to the slats by having the lower coil thereof stapled Oto theslat upon which the coil is mounted (FIG. 9). The upper end of each coilis wired to wires of a locating grid. For example, referring to FIG. 9,the upper coil 38 may be tied to the longitudinal wire 39 and transversewire 41 of the grid by either a single loop of wire such as a hog ring"around each of the wires 39 and 41 or by a continuous winding of wirearound the coil and the grid wires as shown at 42. The grid may be ofconventional construction including a perimeter wire frame 43 with thelongitudinal wires 39 wrapped therearound at each end, transverse wires41 connected thereto by the wire brackets 44.

As shown in FIG. 9, the grid is covered by suitable padding 46 and thatis covered by a fabric hood 47 which is typically stapled to theunderside of the side rails as indicated at 48. Thus completes theassembly.

- where foam is used, more slats are used than with a spring-typeconstruction, unless corrugated support of suitable strength is providedfor the foam.

While the invention has been disclosed and described in some detail inthe drawings and foregoing description, they are to be considered asillustrative and not restrictive in character, as other modificationsmay readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art and withinthe broad scope of the invention.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a mattress support assembly, the combination comprising:

a pair ofv horizontally extending end rails parallel to each other, apair of horizontally extending side rails parallel to each other, and aplurality of corner blocks, each corner block having a pair ofvertically extending grooves therein, one of said grooves of each ofsaid blocks receiving and affixed to the end of a side rail and theother of said grooves of each of said blocks receiving and affixed tothe end of an end rail, whereby a complete rectangular frame is formedby the pairs of rails and plurality of corner blocks, and a plurality ofspaced horizontally extending slats extending between said side rails atthe tops of said side rails and affixed thereto.

2. The combination of claim I wherein:

said side rails have generally rectangular cross section more than twotimes as high as they are wide in cross section and are rabbeted, andsaid slats have ends thereof received in the rabbets on said side rails.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein:

there are four of said corner blocks, all of which are identical, andsaid side rails are identical.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein:

each of said corner blocks has a semi-cylindrical convex outer surfaceextending from one of said grooves therein to the other of said groovestherein.

5. The combination of claim 4 and further comprisand having its endsreceived in grooves in said end rails and affixed to said end rails atsaid grooves.

said side rails are rabbeted and said slats have ends thereof receivedin the rabbets in said side rails and fastened thereto. 7, Thecombination of claim 6 wherein: said slats include a plurality of slatsparallel to said end rails, and two slats disposed diagonally betweencomer blocks and the parallel slats nearest the respective cornerblocks. 8. The combination of claim 7 wherein: said rails, blocks andslats are wood, and are fastened together with metal fasteners installedfrom the outside of the combination. 9. The combination of claim 7wherein: said slats include a pair of end slats adjacent said end railsand resting atop said corner blocks. 10. The combination of claim 9wherein: the tops of said corner blocks are flush with the tops of therabbets in said side rails, whereby all of said slats may be co-planar.l l. The combination of claim 1 and further comprispadding means and ahood covering said slats. 12. The combination of claim 11 and furthercomprising:

a plurality of coil springs secured to said slats and disposed betweensaid slats and said padding. 13. The combination of claim 12 and furthercomprising:

a wire locating grid secured atop said coil springs and immediatelyunder said padding.

an intermediate rail spaced between said side rails.

1. In a mattress support assembly, the combination comprising: a pair ofhorizontally extending end rails parallel to each other, a pair ofhorizontally extending side rails parallel to each other, and aplurality of corner blocks, each corner block having a pair ofvertically extending grooves therein, one of said grooves of each ofsaid blocks receiving and affixed to the end of a side rail and theother of said grooves of each of said blocks receiving and affixed tothe end of an end rail, whereby a complete rectangular frame is formedby the pairs of rails and plurality of corner blocks, and a plurality ofspaced horizontally extending slats extending between said side rails atthe tops of said side rails and affixed thereto.
 2. The combination ofclaim 1 wherein: said side rails have generally rectangular crosssection more than two times as high as they are wide in cross sectionand are rabbeted, and said slats have ends thereof received in therabbets on said side rails.
 3. The combination of claim 1 wherein: thereare four of said corner blocks, all of which are identical, and saidside rails are identical.
 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein: each ofsaid corner blocks has a semi-cylindrical convex outer surface extendingfrom one of said grooves therein to the other of said grooves therein.5. The combination of claim 4 and further comprising: an intermediaterail spaced between said side rails and having its ends received ingrooves in said end rails and affixed to said end rails at said groovestherein, said slats being fastened to said intermediate rail.
 6. Thecombination of claim 5 wherein: said side rails are rabbeted and saidslats have ends thereof received in the rabbets in said side rails andfastened thereto.
 7. The combination of claim 6 wherein: said slatsinclude a plurality of slats parallel to said end rails, and two slatsdisposed diagonally between corner blocks and the parallel slats nearestthe respective corner blocks.
 8. The combination of claim 7 wherein:said rails, blocks and slats are wood, and are fastened together withmetal fasteners installed from the outside of the combination.
 9. Thecombination of claim 7 wherein: said slats include a pair of end slatsadjacent said end rails and resting atop said corner blocks.
 10. Thecombination of claim 9 whereiN: the tops of said corner blocks are flushwith the tops of the rabbets in said side rails, whereby all of saidslats may be co-planar.
 11. The combination of claim 1 and furthercomprising: padding means and a hood covering said slats.
 12. Thecombination of claim 11 and further comprising: a plurality of coilsprings secured to said slats and disposed between said slats and saidpadding.
 13. The combination of claim 12 and further comprising: a wirelocating grid secured atop said coil springs and immediately under saidpadding.